Episode 59 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together, they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz

Challengers against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

-Poised.

-Yes.

-Definitely.

And challenging our resident quiz champions

today are The Heart Throbs.

Now, this team from Leeds all work in the cardiology

department of the Yorkshire Heart Centre.

Captain, Paul, sets an annual charity quiz, which the

rest of the team take part in as rivals. Let's meet them.

Hi, my name is Paul. I'm a clerical officer.

Hi, I'm Alec. I'm a retired cardiac physiologist.

Hi, my name's Jim, and I'm a cardiac physiologist.

Hi, I'm Tony. I'm a hospital porter.

Hi, I'm Donald. And I'm a staff nurse on the acute stroke unit.

-Paul and team, welcome. Good to see you.

-Thank you, Jeremy.

-It's all about the human heart, right?

-Yes, it is.

-That's what's brought you together.

-It is, yeah.

We all work together, or have worked together,

at the Yorkshire Heart Centre in Leeds.

-Which must be an amazing place to be.

-It is.

Seeing people go in, maybe not expecting to live,

and then coming out quite OK.

-Fit as a fiddle.

-Incredible. So, what's it like to work there?

It's great meeting people.

Working with my colleagues here, and they're very supportive.

And, crucially, there's a little bit of quizzing.

There is a little bit quizzing.

I'm a trustee of the charity at the hospital.

I run a quiz, and these people always support it.

Take Heart is the charity, and they're very supportive.

Well, good luck to you, Heart Throbs.

Every day there is £1,000 worth of cash

up for grabs for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money rolls over onto the next show.

So, Heart Throbs, the Eggheads have won the last ten, so you've

got to stop them. And it means £11,000 is here for you to win.

-Would you like to give it a go?

-We would, certainly.

Great stuff. The first head-to-head battle

is on the subject of Geography.

-Who would like this?

-Right, I think I said Geography, didn't I?

-Yeah, sure.

-Shall I go for Geography, then? Everyone agreed?

-Jim's going to take it.

-OK, Jim.

Tell us which Egghead, any one of the five.

Do you think Lisa we should go for? Yeah, OK, Lisa, I think

-we'll go for first.

-How funny.

People are getting a bit of a measure of you on Geography, Lisa.

Jim from The Heart Throbs versus our own heart-throb of The Eggheads...

-Too kind.

-..dear Lisa, and to ensure there's no conferring,

please go to the legendary Question Room.

-Jim, you're a cardiac physiologist.

-I certainly am, yes.

-Meaning what?

Meaning, basically,

we perform diagnostic tests to aid the cardiologists, who

are the trained doctors, to diagnose any heart problems, basically.

So you can find what the heart is doing without sticking

-a camera in me?

-Yeah, absolutely. Sometimes we do stick a camera in,

but most of the time we try to keep the camera on the outside.

Something called transthoracic echocardiology, which is something

I specialise in as well. That's a camera on the outside of the chest.

-So it's an actual camera, is it?

-Sorry, not camera, sorry.

-It's ultrasound that we use from the outside.

-Suction pads, yeah.

-And you can tell a lot about the heart, can you?

-Absolutely, yeah.

We get a black-and-white 2D image of the heart, basically,

lots of moving images of the heart

so we can have a look at the valves and the contractility

and the size of the heart. So there's lots of information there.

And how do you know if your valves are flared up?

What's the first sign?

Well, the first sign is they're not moving as well as they should do.

They might be quite stiff or quite leaky,

so you'll see we use something called colour Doppler

on there as well, which tells us

if the blood is leaking back through the valve as well.

So we can see quite clearly

if the valves aren't moving or aren't as mobile as they should be.

This is fascinating, Lisa, isn't it?

It's very reassuring, as far as I'm concerned, given that

if I ever do have a heart problem,

I daresay I'll end up in Leeds General Infirmary.

Yes, you will. And the fact that they can now see what the

heart is doing without going inside?

-It's pretty cool, isn't it?

-Very cool.

OK. On Geography, Jim. Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first, please, Jeremy.

OK, good luck to you, here we go.

Which of these is located in Giza?

Right, OK. So, I believe Uluru is Ayers Rock in Australia.

I think the Colosseum, I think I'll rule that one out too,

so let's go for the Great Sphinx.

Yeah, Great Sphinx is correct, well done.

-So, Uluru's Australia, Eggs, is it?

-Yeah, Ayers Rock.

-And Colosseum is Rome?

-Yep.

Lisa, your question.

What is the Ebro in Spain?

-Ebro?

-E-B-R-O.

-Thank you.

Well, first thought was river.

We'll go with that. River.

You haven't ever flown on Ebro Airways?

Oh, please don't do this to me, Jeremy.

-No, it's river. You're fine.

-Thank you.

-You're off the hook.

OK, just like to get her heart beating.

-That's our way of testing the heart here, Jim.

-It's effective.

Yeah, it works well. So, your question.

The island of Martinique is part of which island group?

Right, OK, so Martinique.

It's not the Balearic, that's European.

Windward, I'm thinking is kind of the right type of area.

Nicobar, I'm not too sure on.

Let's go for the Windward Islands.

Yes, Windward is correct.

Well done.

Lisa.

The flag of which of these countries features a picture of a dragon?

Well, Egypt is a straightforward arrangement of stripes and...

Is there a triangle in there as well? Can't remember.

Japan is just a great big dot.

And, yes, I think it's Bhutan has the attractive dragon on it.

-It does. Bhutan. Have you been there, Lisa?

-No, sadly not.

Apparently one of the happiest countries in the world.

Apparently, I already live in one of the best

cities in the UK, you know.

-Why go anywhere else?

-I didn't know you'd moved to London.

EGGHEADS CHUCKLE

Jim, your question.

The Sargasso Sea takes its name from a type of what?

Right, OK, Sargasso. I'm trying to logically work through here.

I don't think it'd be jellyfish.

I think it would be... Sargasso, let's go for seaweed.

Yeah, well done, seaweed it is. You're a good quizzer.

Sargasso Sea's a fascinating place.

It's the only sea in the world that has no coastline, but it's

suspected to be, although we don't know this, where eels go to mate.

-And where is it, roughly?

-It's in the North Atlantic.

OK, Lisa.

Which city in Italy's Puglia region is nicknamed

the Florence of the South?

I have no idea.

I wouldn't even know if all of those three were in the south.

I wouldn't know how many of them are in Puglia. And I certainly couldn't

tell you the actual answer to the question, off the top of my head.

So that's a good start, isn't it? Right. Let's see.

Erm... What do I know about any of those?

Balsamic vinegar from Modena. Erm...

I've no idea. Straight fight, one in three guess, I'll hold my hands up.

Modena.

-Well, La Spezia and Modena are in the north.

-Ah, course they are, see?

So, Lecce it is.

-So, Jim, well done.

-Thank you.

-You're in the final round.

-Great.

-There we are. Sorry, Lisa.

-No, happens all the time.

-Gosh, geography's becoming problematic.

It's always been problematic, Jeremy,

it's just sometimes it's more problematic than other times.

OK, well, Jim, you're in the final. Come back to us and we'll play on.

Well done, Heart Throbs. First blood to you.

You've not lost a brain from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost a brain. Sorry, Lisa.

The next subject is Arts & Books.

Who wants this?

-I did say Arts & Books.

-Do you want to give it a go?

-Yeah.

OK, yeah.

-I'll take it.

-Donald will do it.

-OK, Donald, against which Egghead?

Can't be Lisa.

-Don't think Dave...

-Take Dave?

-Dave as well?

-Yeah, OK.

-Dave.

-All right.

So, Donald from Heart Throbs versus Tremendous Knowledge Dave

from the Eggheads on Arts & Books.

Please take your positions in the Question Room.

So, Donald, Arts & Books. Do you want to go first or second?

I'll go first. It paid off last time, so, yeah, first, please.

OK. Here is your question.

How many people are represented in Gustav Klimt's painting The Kiss?

Er, well, it seems a fairly obvious answer. I'm hoping it is two.

I have seen The Kiss. I think it's in Vienna, isn't it? So, yeah, two.

Two is correct. With lovely gold leaf, isn't it?

Yeah, it's a lovely painting.

Yeah, beautiful. Two is right, well done.

Dave. Which of these novelists died in September 2015?

Right. Erm...

Well, one that I can remember dying in 2015, September 2015,

is, er, Jackie Collins.

Jackie Collins is the right answer.

Over to you, Donald.

The twins Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse

are characters in which Shakespeare play?

Right, I don't know this. I'll be honest.

I'm going to rule out Macbeth.

I'm going to go for Comedy of Errors.

You've got it right.

Well done. Playing very well.

In fact, your team, you haven't got an answer wrong yet.

Dave.

Which English author, who died in 1977,

was best known for his occult thrillers

such as The Devil Rides Out?

Thought James Herbert was more science-fiction, like Dune.

I think it's late for Somerset Maugham.

I think it's Dennis Wheatley.

It is Dennis Wheatley. Well done, Dave.

2-2. Very tight.

Third question to our Challenger.

Which French writer, whose novels are often set

during the Nazi occupation of France

was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature?

I'm not too sure about this either.

I will probably go for Claude Simon. Si-mon.

Any knowledge on this one, Dave?

Patrick Modiano.

Yeah. Claude Simon is wrong.

Patrick Modiano, it is, Donald, sorry.

So, a chance for Dave.

Maud And Other Poems is an 1855 collection

by which Poet Laureate, Dave?

-Maud And Other Poems?

-Yeah, Maud And Other Poems.

-Right.

We'll eliminate Robert Southey.

I'm going to eliminate William Wordsworth

and go for Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote Maud, yes, and the other poems

is the right answer, Dave.

You're knocked out, Donald. Sorry, Donald.

-It's OK.

-That last question, isn't it?

-It was, yeah.

Come back to us and we'll see what happens next.

-Dave, James Herbert came up.

-Yeah.

And we said science-fiction but I think that's Frank.

-OK, yes. Yes, it is, yeah.

-James did The Rats.

-Right, yeah.

-And all that.

So, The Heart Throbs have lost a brain now.

Eggheads have lost brain too. Exciting.

The next subject is Film & TV.

Who would like this?

I'm not really good on modern

-film and TV. It always seems to be... I'll take it, though.

-Pardon?

-I think we keep you just in case.

-Who?

-Keep Alec.

-Yeah.

-OK, you.

-Do you want to give it a go?

-I'll give it a go.

-I'm not good on modern film and TV, but, you know.

-Give it a go.

-Yeah, give it a go.

-OK.

-Me, Jeremy.

-All right, good stuff.

-Against which Egghead, Tony?

-Ooh...

-Can't be Dave or Lisa.

I'll take Pat.

OK, Tony from The Heart Throbs against Pat from the Eggheads.

-Sound good?

-Sounds good.

-All right.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions.

Did I detect you were a bit reluctant to do Film & TV, Tony?

Yep.

Have you seen any good films recently?

No, modern films are not my bag, but...

..the...the others are probably better

-at the subjects that might be coming up, so...

-Understood.

So, Film & TV, Tony.

-Do you want to go first second?

-I'll go first, Jeremy.

OK. And here is your first question.

The Tom Hanks film Bridge Of Spies is set during which period?

Right, Bridge Of Spies.

Well...I'll rule out Iraq War...

..mainly. And World War II,

I've not seen Tom Hanks in many of them.

So... And Cold War just says spies. So I'll go Cold War.

Funnily enough, I was looking at these...

I was drifting towards World War II cos of Saving Private Ryan,

so I had that association. But I would've been wrong.

Cold War is right. Well done.

OK, Pat, your question.

Jennifer Lawrence has appeared in how many Hunger Games films?

I think there was a straightforward first instalment...

linked to a first book.

A second instalment which linked to a second book.

And I think the third Hunger Games book,

which is...Mockingbird,

I think they decided to split into two feature films.

So unless I've mislaid several instalments,

that should be four.

Four is the right answer. Well done.

Tony.

Which of these detective shows broadcast

what was reported to be its final episode in November 2015?

Right. Must be a long series for its last episode.

Death In Paradise doesn't seem to have gone that long.

Midsomer Murders seems to be still going.

So I'll go Lewis.

-Lewis is correct.

-Ah.

-Good play, Tony.

Pat.

Dara O Briain became the host of which of these comedy shows in 2005?

Pretty sure he's the genial host of Mock The Week.

Mock The Week is correct.

So you're both playing well. You've got two points each.

Now, don't come unstuck on the third question, Tony.

Which of these Pixar films took the most money

at the international box office?

Well...I'm not really good on these Pixar films.

It would have to be a guess.

Car...Cars, no. Finding...

I think it might be Up.

-Yeah, I thought maybe Up, but it's not.

-Ooh.

-Finding Nemo...

-Oh.

-..is the answer.

So, Pat, you also have a chance

now on the first question.

Who was Ross' first wife in the TV comedy series Friends?

I don't think it's the Rachel of the Friends sextet.

I think I've seen an episode where a person from his past

who's not Rachel has appeared...with a child.

So that rules Rachel out.

Carol or Emily.

I really don't know. I'll have a guess at Emily.

-Eggheads?

-Carol.

-Carol.

Cos Emily was Helen Baxendale.

Yeah, Emily was Helen Baxendale.

So Sudden Death, we go to, Tony, OK?

Cos it's equal after three. Gets a bit harder now.

I don't give you alternatives.

Here's your question.

Who narrated the BBC's 2015 natural history TV series The Hunt?

Well...I'm not good on this,

but I'm going to say the obvious.

David Attenborough.

David Attenborough is correct. Well done.

It was a great one too.

Pat, which British film-maker directed

the films Slumdog Millionaire and Steve Jobs?

I think Slumdog Millionaire is Danny Boyle.

I think he's good for Steve Jobs as well.

Danny Boyle.

Danny Boyle is correct.

Tony, Arthur Stanley Jefferson was the real name of which comedian,

one half of a famous double act?

Right, yes, erm...

Stan Laurel.

Stan Laurel is correct.

Pat, your question to stay in.

Che Chesterman found fame on which

TV show in 2015?

Oh, dear.

Could be almost anything, really.

Could be The Pottery Throw Down,

could be a baking programme.

Pop Idol, American Idol, X Factor. Deary me.

I haven't heard of him so I've got a major problem here.

Let's have a pop at The Great Pottery Throw Down.

THEY LAUGH

-Do you know, Eggheads?

-X Factor.

-X Factor, Pat.

X Factor. Didn't know about him.

You've been knocked out. Well done, Tony.

You're in the final. Good work.

Come back to us, gentlemen.

We'll play the last round before the final.

A bit of superiority for The Heart Throbs.

They've lost a brain, the Eggheads have lost two.

And their knees are starting to knock.

So, it's Sport now for you.

-Who would like this?

-I guess that's me.

OK. Paul. Against which Egghead?

-I'll take CJ, please.

-Fine.

You sounded completely certain about that.

So Paul from The Heart Throbs against CJ from the Eggheads.

-Our own heart-throb.

-Indeed.

To ensure there's no conferring, please go to the Question Room.

So, Paul, Sport. Would you like to go first or second?

I'd like to go first, please.

And here is your question.

How many Championship grass courts are there

at the Wimbledon tennis tournament?

Well, I think I can rule out five right away.

I know they...go up to around 26,

so I'm going to say 19.

19 is correct. Well done.

CJ.

Which of these sports featured at the 2012 Olympic Games?

Ah.

I mean, water polo is an Olympic sport.

But it's not rugby sevens.

That wasn't there, I don't think.

My only concern is, was golf allowed in as a demonstration sport?

But I've got to go for water polo.

Water polo is the correct answer.

Paul.

Which of these footballers was predominantly left-footed?

I do know this one. John Barnes was a left winger,

played for Liverpool for most of his career.

I'm going to say John Barnes.

Well done, Paul. It is John Barnes.

Two out of two. Nice play.

CJ.

The English cricketer Moeen Ali is what kind of bowler?

Well, I knew he was a bowler and that's about as far as it went.

My immediate instinct is that he's a spin bowler.

Obviously, I've got very, very little interest in cricket,

or, indeed, most sports.

I don't think he's seam.

I don't know, but I'll try spin.

Spin is correct.

OK, Paul,

your third question. Going to be crucial here.

Who was named World Rugby Player of the Year

in 2005, 2012 and 2015?

Rugby is not one of my subjects, unfortunately.

I'll have a little think about it.

The only name I've heard of is Richie McCaw.

So, hopefully, seen as that's the one that sticks in mind,

I will say Richie McCaw.

OK. Anyone on your team know?

-ALL:

-Dan Carter.

-They all say Dan Carter.

-So, Paul, it's Dan Carter, I'm afraid.

-OK.

We're doing that two-out-of-three thing, aren't we?

Let's see whether it costs you now.

CJ's third question.

Which boxer, CJ, born in Ohio in 1961

is nicknamed Boom Boom for his all-action fighting style?

Well, I've not heard of Boom Boom.

But...

..isn't it Thomas 'The Hitman' Hearns?

And Marvin...

Is it Marvellous Marvin Hagler? Something like that?

So I think, as I know a little bit

about Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler,

I've never heard of Boom Boom or Ray Mancini.

-That's who I'll try. I'll try Ray Mancini.

-OK.

Well, I'm going to got Dave on this cos he loves his boxing.

CJ is totally correct in everything that he says.

-So Hitman Hearns and Marvellous Marvin?

-Yep.

And Boom Boom Mancini. How about that?

Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?

I mean, the letter, the alliteration isn't really there.

But it gives you the round, CJ. Three out of three.

-I'm sorry, Paul, two out of three has seen you knocked out.

-OK.

But if you come back to us, we'll see what happens in the final round.

So, this is what we have been playing towards.

It is time for the final round. As always, General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So, Paul and Donald from The Heart Throbs,

but also Lisa and Pat from the Eggheads,

would you please now leave the studio?

So Alec, Jim and Tony,

you are playing to win The Heart Throbs £11,000.

Kevin, Dave and CJ, you're playing for something

which I think that money can't buy, which is the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn.

This time the questions are all General Knowledge

and you are allowed to confer.

So, Heart Throbs, the question is,

are your three brains able to defeat these three over here?

And would you like to go first and second?

We'd like to go first, please, Jeremy.

OK. Alec and team, good luck.

Armistice Day, which marks the end of the First World War,

is commemorated on what date in the UK?

-Well, it's going to be the 11th.

-Yeah.

-The 11th?

-Yeah, definitely.

-It's St George's day and then...

-Are you happy with the 11th?

-Yes, yeah.

-11th of November, Jeremy.

11th of November is quite right.

Of course. Eggheads.

In cooking, steak au poivre is the French for what?

I think we like pepper steak for that.

-Poivre is pepper.

-Yeah, pepper steak.

Yeah. Well, poivre refers to pepper, so it's pepper steak.

Pepper steak is correct.

One each. Back to you, Challengers. £11,000

we're playing for.

In Greek mythology, who was the father of Helen of Troy?

Helen of Troy...

I think it's Theseus, cos Poseidon is the God of the Sea.

-Zeus is the...

-Poseidon was the

God of the Sea.

Would he be Helen of Troy's dad?

Theseus sounds like the answer to me.

-Go for Theseus?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. I think that's a good one.

We'll go for Theseus as the non-god.

I see, so Theseus is not a god and therefore was the father?

Eggheads, are they right?

No, it was Zeus.

Zeus was the father of Helen of Troy.

Zeus.

But from that particular

liaison... It was a strange one,

but, then, they often were in Greek mythology.

There were four offspring,

two of whom were mortal and two were immortal, so...

The liaison was between Zeus and...?

Leda, I think.

-Leda?

-Leda. Yeah, I think so.

-Right. Your question.

"It might seem crazy what I'm about to say

"Sunshine, she's here, you can take a break..."

-Happy.

-..are the opening lyrics to which Pharrell Williams song?

-It's Happy.

-OK. Happy, then?

-Yeah.

That is Happy.

Happy is the answer.

So they are in the lead.

£11,000, we're playing for. Really want you to win.

He said, impartially.

You need to get this right, or it's over.

In which year did Swansea officially become a city?

-I think it's quite recently.

-1969.

I think 1969 they changed their name...

From Swansea Town to Swansea City, didn't they?

That was in, like, the late '60s.

-That's good reasoning.

-1969.

-It's as good as we've got, yeah.

We're going for 1969.

That's when they changed...

The football team was Swansea Town.

They changed their name to Swansea City...

-I think, '69.

-OK.

Let's check with the Eggheads.

-Are they right?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Yes, you're right. '69.

Well done.

However, a wrong answer

earlier on Zeus allows the Eggheads to take the contest,

if you get this one right - big if.

The National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory

in which country in November 2015?

-Myanmar for that?

-Myanmar, definitely, yeah.

National League for Democracy

is the party that's led by Aung San Suu Kyi,

and that is in Myanmar.

-Formerly Burma.

-Yeah.

-Are you right?

Do you think they're right?

-Y...eah.

-They seem pretty sure.

They did seem pretty sure,

and that's always a bad sign.

The answer is Myanmar.

We say congratulations, Eggheads,

you have won.

Well played. Well played.

And it is creditable to get them to three against three, isn't it?

It doesn't happen that often, so well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Hope you enjoyed it.

-Yeah, thanks very much.

Commiserations to The Heart Throbs.

but the Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

and this winning streak continues. My goodness.

I'm afraid it means you won't be going home with the £11,000.

So we will take that whole pile of money

and roll it over to the next show.

Eggheads, congratulations.

I am on the verge of declaring you unbeatable. All right?

Join us next time to see if a new team of Challengers

have the brains to bring them down.

£12,000 says they don't.

Till then, goodbye.